Fulfilling One’s Mission
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Key Verse: “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Selected Scripture: |
JESUS, WHO IN HIS PREHUMAN experience was the Logos (Word of God) (John 1:1-3), is pictured as answering the question raised by God concerning a mission to put down the rebellion of sin upon earth. The Prophet Isaiah records, “I heard the voice of the Lord [Jehovah], saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I [the Logos], Here am I; send me.” (Isa. 6:8) Thus it was that “The Word [the Logos] was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) When he reached the age of thirty he came to Jordan in fulfillment of Psalm 40:7,8 to do God’s will and fulfill the mission for which he was sent.
After three and one-half years of ministering to the people, telling them about God’s wonderful kingdom, his enemies decided it was too risky for them to allow Jesus to continue winning over the people. They conspired to put him to death and seized him in the Garden of Gethsemane where he had gone to pray after partaking of the Passover. They took him to the home of Annas, former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest. When the Sanhedrin had assembled at the home of Caiaphas, they took Jesus there and held a trial. The trial was a mockery and Jesus was condemned to die.
Israel was a captive nation and could not put Jesus to death under their own laws. His accusers had to bring him to Pilate, the Roman governor, who interrogated him. When Pilate could find no fault in Jesus and sought to chastise and then release him, he met severe opposition from the priests and scribes. He sent Jesus to Herod who also interrogated him, hoping to see a miracle. Instead he said not a word. He was sent back to Pilate who did everything possible to release him, but was forced under threats of treason to Caesar to crucify him. So they led Jesus away with two criminals to be crucified.
None knew that our Lord had come to earth as a perfect man to give his life as a ransom for the perfect life of Adam that had been forfeited by disobedience to God’s law. The Apostle Paul would later say, “Who gave himself a ransom for all.” (I Tim. 2:6) As our theme text says, he breathed his last and died upon the cross. His mission was accomplished. Now an opportunity for eternal life was guaranteed to all of Adam’s progeny.
It is interesting to note how God used natural forces and other events to indicate his reaction to all the events involving the death of his beloved Son. A great darkness covered the land and the veil of the Temple was rent in twain. (Luke 23:44,45) Although Jesus was put to death as a malefactor, as soon as he died, a rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea, asked Pilate for the body and provided a rich man’s tomb for his burial fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9. A centurion standing guard at the cross in viewing the darkness and the storm as Jesus died, glorified God and said, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” (Luke 23:47) Only a righteous man could accomplish this important and necessary mission and Jesus was that righteous man.